how to write compound/complex sentences using conjunctive adverbs?

Question

just need help? to raise my english class grade

Answer 1

You write "compound/complex sentences," and this, with compound and complex joined by a slash, usually refers to a specific type of sentence, namely one that is both a compound sentence and a complex sentence. I'm going to assume this is what you meant, but perhaps you were using "/" in another way that's common, i.e., to mean 'or'.

Either way, a compound sentence is one that consists of two separate, potentially independent clauses (i.e., an independent clause, which consists of at minimum a subject and a verb, is one that could be written as complete sentence by itself) joined by a coordinator or coordinating conjunction like and or but. To illustrate, I'll modify one the examples that Sherry S. gives in her comment on your question: Jason did not study and he failed the test. This is then a compound sentence consisting of two independent clauses, Jason did not study and he failed the test, joined by and.

A complex sentence is one that consists of two clauses, one independent and the other dependent, meaning it cannot be written as a separate sentence by itself, due to its being joined to the independent or main clause by a subordinating conjunction or a subordinator, i.e., a word like after, while or because. Modifying another of Sherry S.'s examples, Although the the rain was pouring down, no one left the beach is complex sentence since it consists of a main/independent clause no one left the beach to which is joined the dependent clause Although the rain was pouring down which has the subordinating conjunction although (and note the order of the clauses can be reversed, i.e., No one left the beach although the rain was pouring down). Notice too that if not for the presence of the subordinator, the rain was pouring down could also be an independent clause by itself.

So a compound/complex sentence is one that is both compound and complex under these definitions. An example might be No one left the beach and the concession stands remained open although the rain was pouring down where we now have two independent clauses, no one left the beach and the concession stands remained open, thus establishing this sentence as compound, but also because the sentence includes the dependent clause although the rain was pouring down, it is complex at the same time.

Now, conjunctive adverbs are not the same as coordinators in that even though they can join two separate clauses as coordinators do, they must also be used with special punctuation like the semicolon in all of Sherry S.'s examples or with the two clauses written as separate sentences, e.g., Jason did not study. Hence, he failed the test (cf. Jason did not study and he failed the test which fairly freely alternates with Jason did not study, and he failed the test). And conjunctive adverbs actually tend not to occur in complex nor compound/complex sentences, but they can, again under these definitions, be used in a compound sentence; thus My friend did not study; hence, he failed the test is technically a single sentence since it begins with one capital letter and ends in a period.